Saw-table



Patented Mar. I4, mashv l No. 62|,I06.

D. H. LENTZ.

SAW TABLE.

(Appxicqeion med Nov. 22, 1897.) (No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet I 1HE mamsPETERS cov. Hom-uma., wxsumaon. u. c

No. 62u06. Patented Mar. I4, |899'.

n.1H. LENTz.

SAW TABLE.

' (Appnceion med Nov. 22, 1897.) QNo Model.)

2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

UNITED STATESv PATENT OFFICE.

DAVID II. LENTZ, OF JOLIET, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO THE MCKENNA STEELWORKING COMPANY, OF MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN.

SAW-TAB LE.

SPECIFICATION forming* part of Letters Patent No. 621,106, dated March14, 1899.

Application filed November 22,1897. Serial No. 659.480. (No model.)

accompanying drawings,forminga part of this specification.

My invention relates to a sawetable, and more particularly to asaw-table for a railmill, upon which saw-table a heated rail from thefinishing-rolls is adapted to be sawedto standard length.

The saw-table of my invention was designed to be used in connection witha rolling-mill for rerolling or renewing old steel rails, but its use isnot limited to such application. As the rail leaves the finishing-rollsit is very liable to be warped and twisted while cooling, the flange ofthe rail being comparatively thin, cooling more quickly than the head,and thereby causing this distortion. Twisting is also frequently causedby the very action of the finishing-rolls themselves.

Vhile it is usual to straighten rails after they become cold, it hasbeen found very difficult and in some cases almost impossible tostraighten a railwhich has twisted, especially as this twisting isfrequently of different degrees in different parts of the rai/l, itsometimes happening that a double twist will be found. While acold-straightening process will bring the rail into correct alinement,it is usually necessary to provide special machinery .for taking thetwist out of the rail While cold, and it frequently happens that itcannot be taken out at all and the rail must be rerolled. Such twistingis frequent-ly manifested as'the rail leaves the nishing-rolls, and itis the object of my invention to provide means for removing this twistwhile the rail is still sufliciently hot to yield easily'tostraightening mechanism.

In accordance with my invention a number of clamps are arranged atintervals along the saw-table, forming a row in the line of the rail andat an angle with the plane of the saw, said clamps havingopposingmembers,

which are provided with i'lat unyielding enl table in a heated conditionand to remove any twist that may have formed therein. The

clamps are preferably arranged in two sets, working at right angles toone another, one

set serving to remove distortion in a vertical plane, for instance,while the second set removes distortion at right angles to the plane ofoperation of said first setas, for instance, in a horizontal plane. Therail is thuseffectually straightened and the twist removed therefrom'.This straightening upon the sawtable cannot of course do away entirelywith the necessity of cold-straightening, but it greatly lessens thelabor of the latter process and the twist is almost entirely removed.

I will describe the details of construction of a machine embodying oneform of my invention in connection with the accompanying drawings, inwhich-- Figure l is a plan view of the saw-table.

Fig. 2 is an end View thereof, partly in section. Fig. Sis an elevationof one end of the saw-table.

Similar letters of reference are used to designate similar parts in allthe figures.

The framework of the table a is provided with a series of driven rollersa', which are adapted to receive, support, and convey the rail alongsaid table. These rollers are adapted to be driven positively by asteam-engine b in a well-known manner. At either end of the frameworkand constituting continuations of the table are provided ,supportingframes e c', upon which the saws f f are mounted. The saws f f arerotatably mounted in what are commonly known as sawslides g g', saidsaw-slides being movable to and fro along the frames e e', respectively.This movement is preferably effected by means of a steam-cataract h, andsince this construction is so well known in the art I do not consideritnecessary to further de-v scribe it.

loo

Upon the supporting-frame e is provided a guide z', which forms thestationary member of a clamp, the movable member whereof consists of aclamping-bar 71;, which is adapted to slide to and fro along the top ofthe supporting-frame. Means for causing this movement will be presentlydescribed. In like manner the supporting-frame e is provided with aclamp, consisting of a stationary member t" and a movable member orclamping-bar le'. Additional clamps are provided at intervals along thetable a in the spaces between the rollers a', forming a row in the saidlevers forming toggle-joints.

line of the rail and at an angle with the plane of the saw, said clampsconsisting of stationary members Z and movable members m. Theclamping-bar 7e is connected by arms o 0, pivoted thereto withbell-crank levers p p, The outer ends of said bell-crank levers areconnected with an arm q, which is pivoted at its other end to a rockinglever q', pivoted at q2. The other end of said rocking lever isconnected with an arm 7', which extends to the supporting-frame e and isthere connected with the elbows of toggle-joints o', which operate theclamping-bar t". Toggle-joints m are provided in connection with theclamping-bars m at other points along the table a, and the elbows ofsaid togglejoints are pivoted to the arm 0'. The rocking lever q isprovided with a right-angled extension g3, to the end of which ispivoted a connecting-arm Q4, the other end of said connecting-arm beingpivoted to the cross-head of a steam-cataract s.

It will be seen that when the steam-cataract acts to retract itscross-head the lever q p neously the clamping-bar 7s upon the sup--`porting-frame e will be forced toward the stationary guide z" throughthe agency of the toggle-joints 0', connected to the arm fr', the otherclamps fm m upon the table a, being likewise simultaneously caused toapproach their stationary members Z through the agency of thetoggle-joints m', connected to the arm r. If a rail lies between thisseries of clamps thus described, it will be seen that upon actuating thesteam-cataract s the rail will be engaged by these clamps andstraightened thereby in a horizontal plane, as well as being clampedsecurely inv position upon the saw-table. V

Since the clamps have fiat and unyielding engaging surfaces the rail,besides being straightened, will have most of the twist removed. Theserigid clamps will not bend the rail sharply or bite into the same, sincethe rail is not so hot as to be very soft, and the rigid dat surfaces ofthe clamps will merely bend those portions which are out of true intothe proper position.

As is shown most clearly in Figs. 2 and 3, I provide a vertically-movingclamping-bar t,

which is adapted to slide up and down in a plane at right angles withthe movement of the clampingbar 7c and is supported and guided in anupright extension of the guide z', which is provided upon said supporting-frame e. Arms v n are pivoted to said bar t, formingtoggle-joints with rocking levers fw, pivoted to the extension of theguide i. Said rocking levers are connected with arocking lever QJ to arigh tangled-extension @2, whereof is connected an operating-arm whichmay be actuated by lever mechanism c3, connected with a right-angledextension Q3 of the rocking lever q', so that upon actuation of therst-described set of clamps the verticallymoving clamping-bar t willsimultaneously be caused to descend upon the rail, which may lie uponthe saw-table. The supportingframe e is likewise provided with averticallymoving clampin g-bar t', said clamping-bar being actuated bytoggle-joints connected by an arm @c with the rocking lever v', so thatthe clamping-bar t will be forced downward to engage the railsimultaneously with the clamping-bar t.

I have found that it is unnecessary in most i cases to providevertically-moving clamps at other points along the saw-table-as, forinstance, in connection with the horizontal clamps m; but this may bedone, if desired. I preferably adjust the vertically-moving clamps t tso that they may engage the rail upon the saw-table slightlyin advanceof the horizontally-moving clamping-bars 7c k.

Upon referring to Fig. 1, it will be seen that as a rail is 'receivedupon the saw-table the attendant may `actuate the steam-cataract s,whereupon the system of clamps upon the sawtable will be caused toengage the rail at different points in the manner already described, andsince these clamps consist of two sets, one set operating horizontallyandv another set operating vertically, the rail will be eii'ectuallystraightened, and any twist which may have been present therein will beremoved. While the rail is held by these clamps, the steam-cataract hmay be actuated to cause the saw-slides g g to be moved along thesupporting-frames e e', thus causing the two saws ff to saw off theprojecting ends of the rail in a well-known manner. The two sets ofclamps may now be disengaged from the rail by reversing thesteam-cataract s, whereupon the driven rollers ct will remove the railfrom the saw-table and receive the next rail to be sawed.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Iatent, is

1. In a saw-table for a rail-mill, the combination with a saw adapted tosaw oif the ends of a rail lying upon said table,of a set of clampsadapted to engage with said rail as it lies upon the table andstraighten the same in a given plane, a second set of clamps operatingsubstantially at right angles to said first set, said second set ofclamps being adapted to engage IOO IIO

said rail and straighten the same in a plane substantially at rightangles to the plane of operation of said first set, whereby the rail maybe straightened and the twist removed therefrom while being clamped forsawing, substantially as described.

2. In a saw-table for a rail-mill, the combination with saws adapted tosaw off the ends of a rail lying upon said table, of a set of clampsadapted to engage with said 'rail as it lies upon the table andstraighten the same in a vertical plane, a second set of clamps adaptedto engage said -rail and straighten the same in a horizontal plane, saidtwo sets of clamps thus operating to remove twist from the rail,straighten the same and clamp it while being sawed, and means forremoving the rail from the saw-table afterl being sawed, substantiallyvas described.

3. In a rail-mill, the combination with a table for receiving a heatedrail as it leaves the finishing-rolls, of a series of clamps which arearranged at intervals along said table and which have flat unyieldingopposing members for engaging corresponding fiat surfaces upon saidrail, and means for simultaneously actuating said clamps to straightenand remove twist from the rail, substantially as set forth.

4. In a rail-mill, the combination with a saw-table for receiving aheated rail from the nishing-rolls, of a saw for sawing off the end ofthe rail, clamps disposed at intervals along said table forming a roW inthe line of the rail and at an angle with the plane of the saw, flatunyielding faces on the opposing members of said clamps, means foractuating said clamps to cause the same to straighten and remove twistfrom the rail, and means for thereupon engaging the saw with the rail tosaw off the` end thereof, substantially as described.

5. The combination with a saw-table for receiving a heated rail from thefinishing-rolls of a rail-mill, of a pair of saws for removing the endsof such heated rail, a series of clamps arranged at intervals along thetable between said saws, fiat, unyieldin g engaging surfaces upon theopposing members of said clamps for engaging the top and bottom of therail, means for simultaneously actuating said clamps to straighten andremove twist from the rail7 and means for engaging the saws with theheated rail to saw oif the ends thereof, substantially as described.

In witness whereof I hereunto subscribe my name this 18th day ofNovember, A. D. 1897.

DAVID H. LENTZ.

Witnesses:

WALTER C. HOE, L. E. WARD.

